A budget for today and tomorrow

Malta’s 2021 budget speech has come and gone and like every other year it attracted significant attention as families settled down in front of the tv to follow how the budget measures would impact them. In times of crisis, many would expect the government to tighten the purse strings and put the brakes on the implementation of new schemes however, anyone who followed last Monday’s budget speech would know that this was not the case.

This year’s budget proves once again that a Labour government can offer the country a steady future. The fears fuelled by the

PN prior to the 2013 election have turned out to be only scaremongering tactics. All those warning that Labour would drive Malta straight into the ground and that the country would need a bail-out proved to be nothing but nonsense. Fast forward seven years and not only are the government’s economic policies a resounding success but it is thanks to those policies that we are able to sustain jobs during a global pandemic.

The time when the budget speech revealed which taxes or excise duty will increase are over, never to reappear again. Instead, budget speeches are now opportunities to unveil government’s plan for the year ahead and how it plans to keep moving the country forward. Our budget priorities are therefore no longer, as was very often in the past, to wipe out unemployment but to introduce more family-friendly measures.

From an increase in pensions to the extension of the voucher scheme, this year’s budget provided the right balance between fiscal discipline and social justice. However, we are also faced with a new set of issues some of which are the result of our own success. These are the impact of expanding economic activity on the environment, dealing with security challenges in our communities and the gridlock in our roads. It is not a sorry position to be in but definitely no less challenging. These new set of issues must be tackled if we want to ensure a better future for the country.

That is why I believe that the budget has two main aspects: how it affects the ordinary citizen and how it looks at the country’s future. Let me begin with the first. The numerous measures announced on Monday which will have a direct impact on citizens’ lives are many. For instance, postsecondary students will benefit from a year of free internet. This will help them carry out their studies and encourage more to continue their education. From a medical perspective, the government is investing in more medical hubs around the island to give greater access to primary healthcare. We are building safer communities as we continue to extend community policing in more localities. We will also continue to upgrade our road network and look for alternative modes of travel. These are just some of the initiatives announced last Monday which people will be benefitting from.

On the other hand, the benefits of some measures will not be reaped in the coming months but will make a difference in the long run. The setting up of a returns unit for failed asylum seekers is one of them. Many might not have paid much attention to this announcement however; it is significant for many reasons. For the past few years, Malta has been facing an unprecedented amount of pressure due to increasing migrant arrivals. This unit will ensure those individuals who are not eligible for asylum are returned to their country of origin.

Now that the government has announced the budget, it’s time to also implement it. We must roll up our sleeves and make sure we bring it to the finish line. After all we’ve proven that we do make good on the promises we make.